Disclaimer: The author's imagination and passion are the only sources of inspiration for this novel, which is a work of dedication. Parallels between these pages and the past or present may be apparent to some readers, but they are completely coincidental. You are free to interpret this art anyway you see fit, and it is meant for your enjoyment.

The Tan family SUV had barely pulled into the driveway of the Mallari residence when the front door burst open. If the BGC headquarters was a world of rigid schedules and obsidian desks, the "Mallari Penthouse"—as Zenrius and Elyzius affectionately called their grandparents' cozy, renovated home—was a territory where the only law was the law of the "Grandparental."

Aling Cora cried out, "My little Dragons!" at a volume that could break delicate porcelain. As though they were invisible, she went directly to the two tiny versions of her son-in-law, Zayrius, and daughter, Elizien.

Ten-year-old Zenrius held his ground for around three seconds before his "Junior Chairman" persona gave up. "Lola!" he exclaimed, dropping his leather briefcase as he was pulled into a star anise and baby powder-scented embrace.

Elyzius, five years old and holding her tiny clipboard, didn't even try to audit the situation. She dropped her commanding aura instantly. "Lola! Lolo! Did you cook the things? Are all the things?"

The weight of what could only be called a culinary miracle was causing the dining room table within to sag. Since 4:00 AM, Aling Cora had been cooking. Today, love was offered as a buffet consisting of fifteen dishes, and "lunch" was a ceremonial proclamation of love in the Mallari home.

There was Kare-Kare with peanut sauce so rich it looked like liquid gold, crispy Lechon Kawali that crackled louder than a radio frequency, and a mountain of Pancit because, as Mang Tomas insisted, "long noodles mean long flight paths for my grandkids."

"Ma, there are only six of us," Elizien said, looking at the spread with a professional eye for waste management. "This could feed the entire logistics department."

"Hush, Elizien," Aling Cora said, dismissing her with a hand wave. "You and Zayrius feed them 'organic salads' and 'portion-controlled proteins.' Here, they eat until they can't see their toes. Zenrius! Eat more adobo. You're too thin; how will you have the strength to sign all those important papers?"

Mang Tomas was forcing Zayrius, the guy who had once frightened a board of twenty directors into quiet, into a chair.

"Drink this, Zayrius," Mang Tomas replied, passing him a glass of fresh calamansi juice that was excessively sweetened with honey. "You look tired from all that flying. Let the kids enjoy. Today, no corporate talk. Only eating."

Zayrius caught Elizien's eye and smirked. The "Dragon" had been successfully tamed by a man in a "World's Greatest Lolo" apron.

After the buffet, which left everyone in a state of "food coma" that no audit could fix, the real event began: The Gifting.

Mang Tomas led the children to the living room, where two enormous boxes covered in beautiful gold paper were waiting. "We found a few small things for you," he lied.

Zenrius opened his first. It wasn't a tech gadget or a designer suit. It was a vintage, hand-carved wooden flight simulator cockpit, complete with brass dials and a leather seat.

Gazing with gleaming eyes, Zenrius exclaimed, "Lolo, this is... this is the 1950s era!" With a devotion typically reserved for his father's jet, he touched the wood. "The mechanics are all manual. It's perfect."

"I knew you'd like the 'old school' logistics," Mang Tomas beamed.

Elyzius was next in line. Her father was proud of the savagery with which she tore into her box. A tiny, handcrafted, inspired piece of clothing for her beloved doll was the focal point of the pink-and-gold vanity set, which included a practical calculator and a kit of "Executive Play-Make-up."

"It's for the Boardroom Barbie!" Elyzius squealed, her commanding aura replaced by pure, five-year-old delight. "She needs to look sharp for the quarterly review!"

Aling Cora said, "And look here," as she took out two additional bags. "For Zenrius, a gold-plated pen with his name engraved. And for Ely, a secret 'emergency fund' box that only opens with her thumbprint. Don't tell your mother; she'll try to audit it."

Elizien leaned against the doorframe, watching her parents spoil her children with reckless abandon. "Ma, you're making it very hard for me to teach them about 'fiscal responsibility' when they get home."

"Fiscal responsibility is for Monday to Friday," Aling Cora declared while giving Elyzius a large hug. "On Saturdays, the only currency we use is hugs and extra dessert."

As the afternoon light faded, the "Mallari Penthouse" was filled with the sound of laughter. Zenrius was explaining the aerodynamics of his new wooden plane to his grandfather, while Elyzius was busy "calculating" how many cookies she could fit into her new emergency fund box.

Zayrius and Elizien sat on the sofa, watching the scene.

"They're good kids, Elizien," Zayrius whispered, his arm around her waist. "Smart, sharp... but I'm glad they have this. I'm glad they have a place where they don't have to be 'Tans.' They can just be Mallari's."

"They're both," Elizien remarked as she rested her head on his. "They have your Dragon heart and my family's soul. It's a pretty powerful combination."

Zenrius looked up abruptly from his wooden plane. "Dad? Lolo says that when you were my age, you once tried to fly a kite off the roof to see if you could catch a thermal."

Zayrius coughed, his face turning slightly red. "I was... testing a hypothesis, Zen."

"Did you crash?" Elyzius asked, her eyes wide with her father's intensity.

"I landed with style," Zayrius defended.

"He crashed into a hibiscus bush," Mang Tomas winked and corrected.

The room erupted in laughter again. Even the "Dragon" couldn't help but join in, the sound of his genuine, unburdened joy filling the house.

As they prepared to leave, the kids loaded down with leftovers and new treasures, Aling Rosa's words from years ago echoed in Elizien's mind. The highest altitude is only reached when you stop fearing the fall. Looking at her family—the pilot, the junior pilot, the little auditor, and the grandparents who held them all together—Elizien realized they hadn't just reached a high altitude. They had found a way to stay there, buoyed by the one thing that never needed an audit: the unconditional, chaotic, beautiful love of a family.

"Come back next week!" Aling Cora shouted as the SUV pulled away. "I'm making Leche Flan!"

"We'll be there, Ma!" Elizien called back.

Elyzius was dozing off with her thumb on her "emergency fund" box inside the automobile, while Zenrius was already sketching a new wing design in his notebook. With his eyes reflecting the city lights, Zayrius took Elizien's hand.

"One final audit for the day?" he asked softly.

"What's that?"

"We're the luckiest flight in the sky, wouldn't you say?"

Elizien smiled, her heart full. "Audit complete, Captain. Result: 100% accurate."